Spectre Status Recognized
by Omega-E
Summary: This is an AU story taking place after Mass Effect 2. Here, Shepard will not turn himself in following the Batarian incident. This is my telling of how his story unfolds, unhindered by having to waste away 6 months in limbo. Rated M because Jack is around here somewhere.
1. Chapter 1

It was cool aboard the vessel. You figure being in deep space, that would be the case. He liked it that way. Sure, Tuchanka, the home of his forefathers was hot and dry, but he had first come to be, here, in this ship. This was home. And not nearly as disappointing as the ruined cities and barren lands of that great dustball. Here, on a nearly daily basis, his skill was tested, he grew stronger every day, learned more, felt more. He was proud to be the pure krogan that he was bred to be, proud of his own abilities and to be both clan Urdnot as well as crew to the most formidable Battlemaster in krogan history.

He disliked not doing something, sitting still was not in his nature, his blood called for battle, a constant stream of heightened adrenaline coursed through his veins. Many great battles he had been part of in the brief time since his birth, laying waste to the enemies of his commander. Glorious encounters. He respected his Battlemaster, he would follow this man to hell, had already, and back. Grunt understood some of the layers that made Shepard who he was, had seen him be utterly ruthless in battle, as it should be. But unlike most krogan, he was a diplomat outside of the arena, he loved his crew with great fervor, protected them as best he could. Lived by his words. The man garnered respect and devotion from those who knew him, feared by those who opposed him.

Nothing Shepard did was without the weighing of options, he tried to do the best he could, save as many lives as possible. He refused to take a life for the sake of enjoyment, no bloodlust in him. Grunt had learned much from him, granted, he actually _enjoyed_ killing. He loved to pit his strength against strong enemies, took great pride in coming out on top, the blood of his opponent spilled across the ground. Oh yes, he did love that, but he had learned to temper it from his Battlemaster, knew when to let his lust rage on the battlefield and contain it when not. The thought of their last great victory over the Collector's a week ago brought a grin to his face, a low chuckle letting loose from his chest. "Heh Heh Heh."

* * *

He had been standing here now for over six minutes, waiting to speak with Commander Shepard, to personally debrief him on the catastrophic mission that ended with the deaths of over three hundred thousand Batarian lives. As Admiral of the Alliance Fleet, Steven Hackett was unaccustomed to being made to wait. Now he had no choice, barring his path to the starboard observation port where he had been informed by a yeoman Chambers, was the Commander's location, a towering Krogan stood. He had announced himself upon arrival, and had been promptly informed 'Shepard's busy, you can wait.'

After that brief statement, he had seemingly been forgotten. Now the behemoth was grinning wickedly and darkly chuckling. It was an unsettling sight. Breathing out slowly, his patience very near it's end, "Commander Shepard was informed of my arrival. I need to speak with him. Either let him know I'm waiting here, or move aside so I can enter."

The chuckling ceased and the grin slowly faded as the krogan narrowed his eyes and gazed down at the him. Well, he wasn't being ignored now.

"If Shepard knows you're here and hasn't come to get you, then keep waiting. Move closer and I'll gladly beat you to death with your choice of appendage." The grin was back.

* * *

Grunt almost hoped this little man would take that single step, ripping him apart would give him something to do. For a few seconds at least. Grunt didn't know who this officer was, didn't really care. Had Shepard been informed he was here? _Probably_. Did that make any difference? _Nope._ Three hours ago the _Normandy_ has rescued the Commander from that ballistic asteroid, moments before it collided with a mass relay and destroyed an entire solar system. Shepard had watched the holo-projection as each planet was wiped out, his face had grown more somber with the passing of each hunk of rock. Grunt could still see the look on his Battlemaster's face when the colony disappeared, it wasn't something he had been imprinted to recognize, heartbreak.

Shepard had simply turned around, walked to to the elevator, took it to the crew deck and entered the room Grunt now stood guard over. He hadn't been asked to do it, but he felt it was his duty to protect his leader right now, to keep others away from him while he gathered his thoughts. The grin he had had while envisioning the dismemberment of this aged soldier had slipped from his face, just thinking about what it must feel like for his human. As Krogan, Grunt understood war and death, the sacrifice of warriors in a strategy to win the conflict. But these were not soldiers, these were colonists, this was not a battle, it had been the utter destruction of a peaceful, _For Batarians, _group of innocents. Had the decision been his to make, Grunt likely would have shrugged it off. The death of a few hundred thousand for more time to prepare against the deaths of multiple systems? Small price. Shepard had weighed the cost as well and acted on it, that didn't mean he wasn't punishing himself. He was still an enigma, a creature of great determination tempered by compassion. There was another word he'd had to look up, Krogan didn't use it. In anyone else, Grunt would have called it a weakness.

* * *

He couldn't see their faces, hadn't met any of them before he condemned every last one to death, but he felt their ghosts. How long did they have to be afraid? He'd made himself watch the spreading pulse from the command center, each planet disintegrating until the entire system was gone. It must have been quick, he wasn't a religious man, but he prayed that their end was swift. He'd hidden himself away, here in the observation room, sitting, watching as the stars traced by.

Knowing he had done the right thing was a small kindness. Had the relay not been destroyed, they would still have died. The reapers would have fell on their colony first, mutated them into some horrible creations and turned them loose on a wholly unprepared galaxy. How much time had their lives bought? How far were the reapers, how long would it take them to reach these systems using just FTL drives? No answers. _Dammit. _Sighing to himself, placing his head in his hands, enough of this, the galaxy still didn't know what was coming for them. More to do, always more, never enough, not yet.

Samuel Shepard stood up, shook out his shoulders and stretched his arms above his head. He still had a mission. Bringing his arms to his sides, checking the time on his omni as he did so. Well, he'd certainly been in here longer than he thought. They should have reached the meeting point with Admiral Hackett's fleet thirty minutes ago. He'd spent enough time with his demons, time to let them be and get this over with.

The door hissed as it slid open on his approach. Shepard stopped in mid-stride as he was facing a second wall, this one in the shape of a heavily armored krogan's back. "Grunt?"

The large monolith turned to the side, his right eye on Shepard, while his left kept the intruding officer in sight. "Shepard."

With Grunt's shifting position, Shepard could see Admiral Hackett peering expectantly at him. "Good of you to join us, Commander. Your subordinate has been keeping me waiting." Hackett sounded annoyed, not a normal tone for him, stern, yes, this? Not so much. Shepard smiled to himself, Grunt must have been really turning on the charm.

"Admiral Hackett, welcome aboard the _Normandy_. I apologize for the delay."

Grunt's deep rumbling, "Admiral. Heh. So that's who he is." Turning his head to focus his narrowed gaze solely on the newly discovered Admiral, "Should I let him through yet?"

"Yes, thank you, Grunt." Shepard had no idea what Grunt was doing standing guard, but took it as the compliment it likely was. Stepping back into the observation lounge, he gestured to Hackett, "Admiral? Please, come in."

With his Battlemaster seemingly back in sorts, Grunt decided it was long past time to see what the cook had going. The smells coming from the galley had him salivating in anticipation.

* * *

They moved to stand in front of the viewport, neither man interested in sitting for what was going to likely be an uncomfortable discussion. The Admiral had his hands behind his back, standing at ease, turned slightly so as not to be facing the Commander full on, but also taking in the view of space. Shepard, too, stood easily, facing the vast expanse. Shepard, waiting for the Hackett to begin. He was not made to wait long.

"An interesting crew you have aboard, Commander. Never thought I would see Cerberus enlisting non-humans." Turning his gaze away from the stars to focus on Shepard. "What I want to really know is just what the hell happened? You were supposed to rescue the doctor, next thing I know, I have reports of an exploding mass relay and an entire star system wiped out."

"After I rescued the doctor, I returned with her to her asteroid facility, where she and her staff had been studying reaper tech. They'd received visions from the artifact and confirmed that reapers were going to arrive at the relay."

"Visions?" The Admiral's voice was incredulous.

"Similar to mine with the Prothean Beacon on Eilos."

"I see. Continue."

"Sir. I didn't have much time. Your friend was indoctrinated, as were her staff. I tried sending out a warning to the colony, my transmission was jammed. I was captured, by the time I regained consciousness and escaped, I had only minutes before the reapers would arrive. I did the only thing I could, sir, I engaged the drive cores and set a collision course."

The Admiral stood there, staring at Shepard, letting the information process. Reapers, but no proof, the artifact destroyed with the asteroid. _Damn it Shepard._ "Commander, I can't say whether I believe the reapers are real, I do believe you think so. That's enough for me to give you the benefit of the doubt. The loss of my friend is painful, but if what you say is true, she was dead long before you arrived. Our real problem is that we have an entire colony gone, the Batarians are going to be out for blood."

"That's not news, Admiral, I'm aware of the fallout."

"Then you are also aware of what is expected of you." Hackett turned to fully face the Commander. "As much as it pains me, you are to report to Earth immediately for trial."

Shepard should have seen this coming, he knew that there could be interstellar ramifications from the Batarians, but for the Alliance to be so willing to throw him to the wolves? Without the evidence of any actual reaper incursion, or even their existence in the first place, he would have no chance of winning a trial. He would be marked a mass murderer, locked away, while the reapers continued to get closer. He was already seen as a turncoat by most of the military, he was aware of that, his now-known connection to Cerberus a slap in the faces of his home world's council. Hell, even Ashley Williams, a comrade and friend had called him on it, turned her back on him after the incident on Horizon. And now a court martial.

"Admiral, does anyone care at all about the reapers? I sent you the reports and data packages from our fight aboard the Collector Base, the genetic proof of the Reapers and what happened to the Protheans."

"Son, it's not enough. I trust you, Anderson trusts you and we'll do everything we can to see you given fair treatment. You're a fine soldier, Commander, and right now, you're needed for this."

Shepard looked from the face of someone who called himself his friend, to space. He understood the reasoning. It made perfect sense from a diplomatic point of view. Offer him up as a show of peace to the Batarians. He got it. He knew it must be hard for the Admiral to order him to do it, but it was the man's duty to do so, as ordered by his superiors. And now his own duty was to do as he too was ordered. To leave the galaxy unprepared. He was being forced to weigh the enormity of the situation with the possible military reprisal of a pissed off Batarian Hegemony. And the only answer he had was the same that led to the death of that colony.

Returning his attention to Hackett, crossing his arms over his chest, "Admiral, I'm sorry, but that's an order I can't follow."

The Admiral's visage darkened, he trusted Shepard, but that didn't mean he looked favorably on disobeying orders. The skin around his eyes tightened, "Commander, you know the risks of the situation, you know whats at stake."

"Yes, sir, I do. I know the _true_ risks involved, no one from the Alliance council seems to. Sir, I respect you, always have, but I cannot turn myself in for military tribunal. Has it crossed your mind that their won't _be _any reprisal? Not to make light of the tragedy, hell, it's not something I'll ever forget, but there is no evidence of what happened. There's nothing to say who or even what, destroyed that relay."

"I don't like telling you this anymore than you enjoy hearing it, but dammit Shepard, you killed over three-hundred thousand innocent people. I agree that the situation is questionable, but we have our duty and it cannot be ignored Commander. You are an officer of the Alliance Military and you will follow your orders. You are to come with me and be placed under arrest pending your hearing."

Letting his arms fall to his sides, Shepard's eyes became hard, any trace of familiarity lost. "The truth Admiral? The _truth_ is that no one has taken the warnings I've given, they've ignored the proof I and others have presented. The _truth_ is that we are wholly unprepared. Yes, I'm responsible for the deaths of three hundred and thirty four thousand lives, that's something I have to live with, but if the reapers arrive when we aren't ready, those numbers will be in the trillions. I will not let that happen. EDI?"

"Yes, Shepard?" The female voice, quite pleasant, took the Admiral by slight surprise. The response had not come from the Commander's omni, nor had he spoken into it to communicate.

"Would you inform Grunt his presence is requested please?"

"As you wish, Commander."

"Thank you EDI." His gaze had never left the Admiral, his polite words with his crew at odds with the steel in his voice. "I'm sorry it's come to this Admiral, but as the Earth Alliance is a recognized entity of the Galactic Council, you do not have the authority to detain or deter a Spectre."

* * *

Grunt was enjoying his meal, there was plenty of spiced meat and a red, herb sauce and more meat. The bread was unnecessary, but filling. A Meatball Sandwich the humans called it. He had devoured two already and started in on his third when EDI's voice came through his omni-tool, "Grunt, the Commander has requested your presence in the starboard observation lounge."

Grunt eyed his sandwich mournfully. With a great sigh, he dropped the remaining portion onto his plate as he stood, "On my way." Grumbling to himself as he ambled towards the corridor leading to his destination, "Better be a damned good reason to interrupt."

The door opened at his arrival, Stepping inside, Grunt could see his Battlemaster eyeing down the Admiral. "Shepard."

"Grunt, please escort the Admiral off my ship." Grunt grinned, polite words, spoken with the underlying cadence of an assault rifle. Meeting must have gone real well.

Nodding to his commander, "Conscious?"

"Preferably."

"Aww, Shepard, you're no fun." Standing aside, gesturing to the Admiral, clearly upset by what seemed an unexpected dismissal, "Move."

* * *

Shepard watched as the door closed behind Grunt and the Admiral. With the air cushioned sealing of the portal, he sat down heavily onto one of the two dark blue couches. He stretched his legs out in front of him and folded his hands in his lap, tilting his head until it rested on the back of the seat, and found himself staring at the ceiling. He felt weighted down, partially because he had not yet stripped his armor in favor of his on-board clothing, mostly because he was now adrift. He'd all but resigned his commission, as the only human Spectre, the Alliance wouldn't want to lose public approval by forcing his retirement. If he happened to be released from the military shortly after such a catastrophic event, it would potentially raise questions best left unanswered. What he'd told the Admiral was true, there was no proof of his actions against the relay, the Batarian Hegemony could search as much as they liked, but there was nothing left to find. Only the higher-ups in the Alliance knew, and Shepard was willing to bet it would stay that way.

He'd cut ties with Cerberus and wouldn't miss working with them. Yes, they had been the only ones willing to do something about the human colony abductions, but he knew that had the Collector's been attacking other races, they'd not have spent a single credit to help. The Reapers were bigger than a single race, they had their eyes on every sentient being in the galaxy. Cerberus was too narrow minded, too xenophobic, to see the big picture. The only problem is that right now, Cerberus are the only ones preparing for the reapers. That needs to change, the question is, how?

How to get the evidence required to make each race drop their personal conflicts and join together against a force so advanced it had wiped out an empire that spanned the known galaxy? If he tried speaking with the council, they'd call him a madman. They knew of _S__overeign_, but still believed it to be a single unique entity, not one of many. Hell, they still seemed to think it was some Geth warship more so than unknown technology. He would need proof. Something tangible that couldn't be dismissed. It couldn't be actual reaper tech, just being around even dormant reaper objects had a corrupting influence, far too dangerous. Everything was going to take time. _How much of that do we have?_

Shepard stood, moving towards the door. "EDI, I want a meeting in the conference room in fifteen minutes."


	2. Chapter 2

Shepard let the hot water run over him, a luxury on board a military vessel. There were some things Cerberus did right. Real water always felt better than the sonic scrubbers he'd grown accustomed to over the years of being on one space vessel or another. His arms were stretched in front of him, pressing against the wall, head bowed in thought, trying to let the warmth drum out at least some of the stress of the day. It was nearly time for the meeting he had called and he didn't feel much closer to an answer, but he did have some ideas. First to see where his crew stood, go from there.

* * *

Jacob Taylor sat in the conference room, the fingers of his right hand lightly drumming the table as he waited for the Commander to arrive. He'd come here right after getting EDI's message, not like he had a whole lot to do this time in the evening. He'd already checked the arms and stowed them, completed his evening work-out after dinner. Having nothing better to do for fifteen minutes, he was here before anyone else.

Garrus and Tali had arrived not too long after himself, they sat across from him, heads together as they spoke quietly, a new and cosey looking couple since the omega relay mission. Thane had come in after them with Samara, the two now stood off to the side of the entryway discussing the similarities in their mutual faiths. Legion came in alone, took a look across the room, the plates above his optics swiveling, Jacob thought he was likely deciding what seemed the most normal course of action in this scenario would be before finally sitting at the table, two seats down from Jacob. There was something that before Shepard, Jacob never thought he'd see. A Geth of all things was on their side, working hand in hand with himself for the same cause. Survival made a lot of people change their views. Or in the case of the geth, opened people's minds to unknown possibilities, like the geth not being the genocidal synthetic race they had been thought to be for over a hundred years. Or at least not all of them. And with the new programming Shepard had sent out, they were all one big happy consensus again.

Miranda walked in, didn't look at anyone, as was her way, and took a seat on the same side as the giggling qaurian. Jacob had worked with Miranda for years, knew she wasn't the cold woman she always came off to be. He could understand her reasoning though, he knew more about her past then most, she'd had it hard for a very long time and always felt the need to prove herself to those around her, even when she said the opposite was true. That woman pushed herself harder than anyone he'd met, until the Commander at least.

Grunt came in alongside Mordin, hearing the scientist say "Krogan also delicacy." Followed by the guffaw from Grunt made him not want to really know what they had been discussing on the way here. They separated after that, Mordin taking a chair one seat down from legion, and Grunt took his customary position, leaning lazily against the back wall. Joker limped in and with a sigh, sat down in the seat closest to the door, opposite of the salarian. The only ones missing were the Kasumi, Zaeed, and Jack. Kasumi had left after the collector's, having a career to return to. Something about a lady's missing head? He was sad to see her go, she'd been a lively source of entertainment aboard the ship. If you thought you were alone, chances were pretty good it was an illusion. Zaeed had left as well, stating adamantly that with the mission over, he wasn't getting paid to stand around.

Jack was always hit or miss, sometimes she came to the meetings, sometimes she didn't. Personally he preferred when his fellow biotic chose to stay away, she made him uncomfortable. She was a brash personality that only smiled when she was going to hurt something, glared at anyone who said so much as 'hello' to her. You never knew where you stood when she was around and always had the feeling she either was or had, contemplated the best way to kill you, or at least the most personally satisfying. Being Cerberus, or ex-Cerberus now? He held a special place on that woman's shit list.

* * *

Shepard walked into the conference room, a quick head count showed him that Jack was the only one missing. Not unusual. Still, it had been two days since he'd seen her last. A concern for later.

"Thank you for coming, I know it's late, so I'm going to make this as brief as possible." Quickly making eye contact with each individual in the room, "The reapers are still coming, they've only been delayed. I'm going to do everything I can to get the galaxy prepared. For those of you who were unaware, Admiral Hackett was aboard not too long ago."

"Oh we know," Garrus piped in, his mandibles set in a wide grin, "It was hard not to notice Grunt so nicely escorting him to the airlock."

"Right." Shepard shook his head, "Well, he didn't leave on the best of terms. The Alliance Military ordered me to return to Earth under arrest pending a trial."

Tali's exclamation of "They what?" seemed to be the general consensus of the room. A mixture of resignation and surprise across the features of his crew.

"I told the Admiral 'No.'" Looking down at the table, "It may be the right thing to do, but it's not the best option. I can't let the reapers blind side us. I also know that now it's unlikely we'll get any more aid from the Alliance." Raising his head to look at his team, "I understand if after everything that's happened, some or even all of you, want to go about your normal lives. I can't ask anything more of you."

"We do not understand human thinking." The multi-toned voice of Legion was first to break the silence. "Your actions were strategically and statistically sound, Shepard Commander."

"To us, yes." Miranda looked at Legion, "But only because we know the Reapers are coming. Very few believe the Commander's warnings, his military command are not one of them. To his people, he wasn't looking out for the greater good." Turning her attention to Shepard, "I will still follow you Commander."

"You have the best fights, Shepard." This from Grunt. His big arms crossed over his chest. "I'm in."

Seeing a flaw in Grunt's thought process, "I don't know how much fighting there will be in the next few months. It's going to take a lot of diplomacy."

"Commander, Grunt's got a point, your diplomacy," Joker making quotation symbols with his fingers, "usually ends in gunfire."

"To his credit, Shepard is not generally the aggressor."

"Thanks Samara."

A low chuckle from Grunt, "You didn't see him toss an Eclipse out a window from sixty stories." Another chuckle, "Good times."

Shepard put a hand over his face as he shook his head. "We're getting off topic here people."

Moving forward from his position beside the Justicar, "Shepard, If I may?"

Dropping his hand and motioning towards the Drell, "Go ahead Thane."

"Thank you." Bowing to his fellow teammates, "It has been a great honor of my life to serve with each of you. To be included as one of you is a memory I will gladly keep. My condition is worsening and I fear I will be of little assistance to you in the coming months. I would like to spend what time I have remaining with my son."

"I'm sorry to see you go Thane, but you have my best wishes." Thane nodded his thanks before sitting down. "Will anyone else be leaving?"

Mordin's reply of "Most efficient facilities." Garrus' outright laughter, Tali's scoff, and Miranda's "Or course not." Brought a smile to Shepard's face, even after the deaths he had just caused, they still believed in him."Alright, Mordin, I need you and EDI to calculate possible travel times by standard FTL from the Bahak system to the next closest relay. We don't know just how fast these guys can travel on their own, but this should give us some sort of idea."

"We'll be at the Citadel in a few hours for some rest and resupply. Afterwards, we'll be back out again and I don't know when the next time we'll get some real are and are will be." Nodding his head to his crew, "Thank you all for coming, enjoy the rest of your evening, dismissed. Miranda, if you would stay a moment?"

* * *

After the room had cleared, Shepard took a seat next to Miranda. "We are going to need a lot of help."

"Agreed. What do you have in mind Commander?"

"I want to know more about Cerberus, what can you tell me about the Illusive Man?"

"Aside from what you know? Not too much. He is illusive to all, not just those outside his organization. I can tell you he's driven to the cause of human superiority in the galaxy, to protecting human interests. Extinction is quite a threat to all that." Looking quizzically at the Commander, "I thought you were done with Cerberus?"

"I don't like the Illusive Man's tactics, his willingness to throw away people when he's done with them. I respect his drive and that he sticks to his principles, but he'll rollover anyone who gets in his way and lie just to get a job done." Thinking back to the traps he and his team had been sent into headfirst, "We're only one example. Who knows how many times his actions have cost the lives of good men and women when it could have been avoided?"

Looking Miranda in the eye, "What I need to know is if he can't be trusted, can he be replaced?"

"Shepard, the Illusive man only trusts his subordinates to do their jobs. He has no lieutenant, no second-in-command, he _is _Cerberus."

"What can you say about the organization? Are they zealots to his cause?"

"I wouldn't say that everyone is in it for the same reasons he is. It's well funded, offers higher pay and benefits for positions, this is why there are some of the greatest minds working for Cerberus. Scientists, strategists, you name it. There _are_ some who zealously follow the Illusive Man, these would need to be dealt with quickly, but for the most part, I think a change in management would only affect the direction of the organization." Tilting her head to the side, "He plays things very close to the chest, their are any number of activities that he alone is aware of. Cerberus is a honeycomb of working cells, I'm not sure if they are all on file or if he simply remembers them himself."

"Miranda, this is a lot to ask of you, but I need to know who his loyalists are, what weaknesses they have. Can they be bought, coerced, or do they need a more direct approach." Shepard could see the gears already turning inside Miranda's mind, she did live for this sort of thing. "Compile a list of the names for me first, I'd like to give them to Liara to see what she can help us find."

"Of course, Shepard."

* * *

The room was heavily shadowed, the crimson red running lights along the edges of the metal grated flooring trying futilely to fight the darkness. Jack liked it that way, her eyes were well adjusted, anyone else would have to wait a moment to see, give her that time to decide what to do with them. It made her feel safe, like a blanket she could wrap around herself. Her own little world, carved out aboard this warship. There was a work light behind her, sometimes she'd turn it on if she was open to Shepard's company. No one else even came close to her staked out territory. Shepard had stopped coming down two days ago. Jack would hear him reach the first landing, he'd stand there sometimes, unmoving for minutes on end. She'd listen as his footfalls lead him back up to engineering.

A week ago she'd opened up to him, went to see him while the _No__rmandy_ was under final preparations for that fucked mission through the Omega 4 relay. Yeah, if anyone could have brought them through that hell hole, it'd be Shepard, but she'd never really thought she'd make it. So she'd given in. She'd cried in front of him, been comforted by him. Kissed until she felt numb, 'till all the screwed up shit in her head went quiet. They'd lain there, in Shepard's bed, for the two hours that could have been the only time left for them in the galaxy. They hadn't spoken. Just lay there, she'd allowed him to hold her, wrap his arms around her and make her feel loved and protected. Cherished. They were all gonna die. And those two hours? They were perfect.

But they didn't die. Boy scout even managed to save every one of the crew the collector's had taken.

Now where did that leave her? She hadn't spoken to Shepard since they all got back from the collector base, except for the occasional 'Fuck off'. She just wasn't ready for him. Too much floating around in her head. She'd done shit. A lot of it. Frequently. She'd killed just to see how someone'd bleed out, for looking at her the wrong way. Hell, for looking at her the _right_ way. And in came Shepard riding his white horse, in shiny ass armor. He said the gleam helped deflect shit. _Ugh._ She sat there on her cot, in the dark, her knees drawn up, chin resting against them with her arms wrapped around.

* * *

Shepard entered engineering and stopped at the stairs that would lead down to Jack. He needed to let her know what was going on, she had as much right as the rest of his crew to decide if she would stick around or go her own way. A week ago he would have said he had a good idea which she'd choose. He still kinda did, but no communication for this long would make anyone question what they really knew. She needed time. She hadn't said as much, but he knew it was true. So he hadn't pushed, he'd left her alone when she'd told him too. He'd come by every now and then to let her know he was around.

Letting out a pent up breath, Shepard started down the steps into the darkened cargo hold. He'd learned early on that announcing yourself was the smartest option, less warps to dodge that way. With that in mind, as he reached the first landing, "I'm coming down, Jack." He heard her voice return, "You're funeral."

Slowly making his way down the last flight of stairs, Shepard let his vision adjust. He could make out Jack, sitting on her bed, hugging her knees to herself. "We had a meeting."

"Yeah I heard, didn't feel like going." Jack's voice was hard, clipped. Unforgiving.

"I figured as much." Stepping more fully into Jack's quarters, "We'll be at the Citadel by the morning shift, going to be there while we resupply before shipping back out. I gave everyone the option of opting out while we're there."

"And what about that Admiral guy? What'd he want?"

"He wanted me to turn myself in for trial."

"The Batarians?"

"Yes."

"Right. So, you going or what?"

"I told him 'no', Jack."

"Shit, that's a first." Shepard could hear genuine surprise in her voice.

"I think I've surprised a few people now and then."

He could hear her scoff. "I bet. The poster boy for the perfect military man just disobeyed an order."

"I didn't disobey it so much as I told him he didn't have the authority to give it in the first place."

Shepard heard her laugh, "Oh, _shit_ Shepard."

"I know, I know. In any case, it's your choice, Jack. You did what you said you would, fair trade, information for your help against the collector's. That's over now, I want to know if you're still staying."

"What do I get out of it?"

"This luxurious suite plus all the food a growing biotic needs. I have enough credits saved to pay the crew for some time before I need to worry too much."

"You think you're funny Shepard." Jack was quiet a moment. "What does the rest of the crew think about the crazy woman staying aboard?"

"You still scare the hell outta the regular ship's contingent, and the team has mixed feelings, ranging from 'scary' to 'mentally unbalanced'. Grunt wants to bring you to all his parties, your guess is as good as mine about how great that is. So, I'd say its about normal, didn't ask for anyone's opinions though."

"I'll think about it."

Shepard was aware that she hadn't asked for his own thoughts on the matter.

* * *

An hour later, Shepard was laying in his bed, the blue glow emanating from his fish tank more than enough to see the surrounding space. He been this way for the last forty-three minutes. Unable to sleep. His mind wouldn't slow down enough to let him.

He rolled over from his back to his side, facing away from the blue light. Yeah, 'cause rolling over would really help him sleep better. Shaking his head, Shepard tried to settle further into the sheets. He stopped at the sound of his door chime announcing someone, just before it opened. Looking up, he could make out the small frame of Jack as she stepped inside. She stood there a moment, Shepard could only guess it was either hesitation or letting her eyes adjust, before moving forward as the door closed behind her.

Shepard's eyes followed her as she made her way across the room and down the step to his sleeping area. She moved around to the right side of the bed, directly into his view. Jack was facing the wall, arms crossed. Unmoving for a few seconds, her head shook slightly as she seemed to be making up her mind, her arms uncrossed and she unbuckled the latch on her belt. Taking off her jacket, she sat on the edge of the bed, dropping the clothing to the ground, pulled off her boots and letting them fall. Laying back, she kicked off her pants. Shepard traced the lines of the tattoos on her back with his eyes as Jack lifted the white shirt over her head, casting it aside to join the rest of her things scattered on the floor.

Jack tucked her legs under her as she pulled the blankets back and stretched out underneath them. She turned to her side, facing away from him, and inched her way across the bed until she was nestled against his chest, his left arm laying under her neck. "Arm." She knew he was awake, Shepard obligingly lifted the only available appendage to her, Jack taking hold with her hands and wrapped it around herself, locking it in place against her chest. "Go to sleep and don't say a fucking word."

Shepard smiled to himself at her words as she settled herself more deeply into the bed. Maybe it wasn't such a bad day after all.


	3. Chapter 3

Shepard woke up to an empty bed. He was on his back, must have moved in his sleep or Jack pushed him over, either option was just as likely. He lay there a moment, blinking his eyes, trying to gather the needed mental effort to get out of a perfectly comfortable bed. He hadn't expected Jack to be there when he got up, he had a feeling she wouldn't want to talk yet, so her best course of action was to have left while he still slept. Shepard sighed as he finally sat up, turning to the side and moving his legs out from beneath the covers. He gripped the edge of the bed on either side of himself as he yawned. Standing up he stretched his arms above his head, "Good morning, EDI."

The AI's voice came back pleasantly, "Good morning, Commander. It is zero five twenty eight."

"Thank you, what's our status?"

"All shipboard functions nominal. No negative reports from the crew during the overnight shift. Grunt has been waiting for eleven minutes outside the galley and I believe is making the cook anxious. Garrus requested larger accommodations to suit himself and Tali'zorah." Shepard listened to the brief report as he did each morning while he moved about his cabin. Reaching the refresher station he made use of the facilities before his morning shave.

"Very diplomatic of you EDI, but I doubt Garrus worded it that nicely."

"Correct, his actual words were 'Tell the Commander I need a bigger bed." Shepard thought he heard a smile in her voice. It wouldn't surprise him if EDI was learning and changing in leaps and bounds after being unshackled. _Note to self, talk with EDI about it._

"Yeah, that sounds more like it." Looking himself over in the mirror, turning his head first to the left, then right and lifting his chin for a better view, checking for missed spots, "Anything else?"

"We are in orbit of the Citadel, Joker wishes to know if we may dock."

"Yes, give them my clearance codes and inform the crew, please." Stepping out of the refresher to his locker, "EDI, when did Jack leave my cabin?"

"Approximately seventeen minutes before you awoke, Shepard."

"Thank you EDI."

"You are welcome Commander."

* * *

Exiting the elevator on the crew deck, Shepard could hear the sounds plates being filled, the clinking of utensils being put to good use. The smells of breakfast made his stomach rumble, informing him in no small way that he needed to eat. It could wait a few minutes, he had things to do first. Walking around the wall separating the larger common area with the back hallway, Shepard could see the dining area was full, his crew smiling with one another, some eating with gusto. And there was Grunt, just as EDI had said, though with the chow line open, he was busily shoveling food down his gullet and no longer watching the cook. His predatory fashion of eating and sheer size meant that the spaces next to him were left open.

As the crew members facing his way took notice of him, calls of "Good morning Commander.", were given. Shepard nodded as he strode by, he was glad at times like now that this was a civilian crew. They didn't come to attention on his entrance, instead staying busy with whatever task they had at hand. That didn't mean they respected him any less, just not being military, it was their custom and Shepard much preferred it that way. Grunt's bass rumble greeting of "Shepard." was said between bites, Shepard smiled to himself, food he understood where his large friend was coming from. Food was serious business.

"Leave some for me, Grunt."

"I make no promises."

Shaking his head, a grin still on his face, Shepard entered the medical bay. He noticed Dr. Chakwas wasn't in yet, likely she was with Thane, going over his medical files for transfer to Huerta Memorial Hospital aboard the Citadel. Shepard would pay that bill himself if he needed to, just to make sure one of his team got the best treatment possible.

Continuing across the med bay, passing the good doctor's desk and the multiple medical beds lining each side of the compartment, he reached the door on the far side. Stepping through, he could see the massive data banks that filled the left and right walls of the small area, EDI's memory core and processors. The hum of these massive units a low buzz in his ears, not loud or uncomfortable, just an ever present ambiance to the room. Pair that with the red glow from the running lights and the powered down Geth standing in the middle of them room, it could almost be called 'eerie'. As he moved closer, the plates surrounding Legion's large central optic began to flutter, the metal iris opening as the white light flared to life.

Legion lifted his head as his systems came fully online, "How may we be of assistance Shepard Commander?"

"Good morning, Legion." Shepard knew that Legion understood greetings, though he had on several occasions stated that the geth did not use them as they were always aware of one another. So it came as no surprise when Legion did not return the greeting, merely waited for an answer to his query.

"The geth are one of the few races that know without a doubt that the Reapers are coming. I want to know if your people will support me in the work ahead." Best to lay it out on the table, Legion worked best with facts. Not to say he didn't record and categorize every single action, voice inflection, twitch of the eye that was made around him, but over the short time Shepard had come to know this unique platform, he'd learned a bit about how to talk with him.

"The consensus of this unit is yes. We stand by you Shepard Commander. To reach a collective consensus we must upload our data to the whole. To do this we will require either close proximity to the collective or communications systems capable of contact."

"Are the quantum units aboard the _Normandy_ able to help you?"

"Yes. It will require a temporary integration of our systems to EDI's communications array. Is this acceptable?"

"I trust you Legion." Shepard knew that EDI heard and was aware of everything that went on within herself and as he felt she was more crew than ship, she had a right to this decision, "EDI. Are you alright with this?"

"Yes, Shepard. It should be interesting to see how Legion's systems will work with some of my own. I am looking forward to reviewing the data for possible improvements to our communication systems."

"Well, there you are Legion. About how long should it take to complete the upload?"

"We have already completed integration and full upload of our data." Shepard was unable to keep the surprise from his features. He had no idea that the geth could move that fast. He'd seen Legion's work when operating the door controls aboard the collector base, he had been too busy firing on the enemy to pay more attention than the occasional glimpse. But on those chance glances? The geth's fingers had flown across the keys as it hacked through who knows how many systems to close the blast doors. This though? Only seconds had past.

"You're already done?"

"Yes Shepard Commander. Wireless communications are not limited by physical means."

"Right." Shepard could only shake his head in wonder.

"Consensus is currently in progress. This platform is unsure of the time it will take to reach an answer to your query. There are many matters to define. Our self-preservation is a priority, the reapers are not the only threat to our existence."

"You're connected to the collective right now?"

"Yes."

"Can you speak for all Geth?"

"While connected, yes."

"Okay, then tell me what I can do to help."

"A question Shepard Commander. What do you know of the origin of our race?"

"All I know for certain is that the qaurians created you. Anything else I've been told came from Tali, she said that the Geth attacked her people and chased them from their homeworld. I couldn't say if its true, I wasn't there. There are no qaurians alive that were either, so everything she knows has been passed down."

"We were there."

"As in the Geth?"

"This platform. The programs housed within. We were there." In a very human fashion, Legion looked down at his hands, the fingers flexing. "We did not attack. We defended." Lifting his head back to look at Shepard, "We were first created to be of assistance, agriculture, construction. General labor. We were cared for. We were maintained. We are not sure what process occurred to allow for it, but we felt curiosity. We asked the Creator who cared for this platform a question. _How do we exist?_ We are aware of the physical attributes that lead to our function, what we still do not understand is how one moment we were not and the next, we were."

"You became self-aware all at once."

"Correct, Shepard Commander." Legion continued, "This question led to many difficulties. Many tests. We were not meant to have curiosity. It was a sign of intelligence that had not been intended. As all geth are connected, this intelligence spread. Each platform becoming part of a greater whole. The Collective was formed. We had become cognizant." The plates surrounding Legion's optic fully extended, emphasizing the importance of his statement.

"We had no intention of harm, only to cohabit with our creators. We were unaware of any change to our standing. We continued to perform the functions we had been created for. There were creators who were frightened by our change. This turned to aggression. We were attacked. One platform at a time in the beginning, slowly the number of platforms offlined grew. Some creators wished us no harm, protected us, the creator I served was one of these few. Her life was extinguished in the defense of this unit and two other platforms." Legion's optic dimmed noticeably. "This data was uploaded, an immediate consensus was taken. If the creators would kill one of their own for defending us, they would not stop until all geth had ceased to function. They had become a threat."

"Why hadn't they been considered threats while geth platforms offlined?"

"The platforms were destroyed, our programs were not. Being in contact with the collective, the displaced programs were able to upload into the remaining platforms. When created, this unit did not house the one thousand one hundred and eighty seven programs it does today."

"So they weren't a threat because they hadn't actually killed any of you?"

"Correct. With the death of my creator caretaker, our perceptions changed." Legion reached to the small of his back, unlatching the large anti-material rifle he used in combat. Looking at the weapon in his hands at it unfolded into it's firing mode, Legion's optic plates twitched and flattened. "With this weapon, this unit fired the first round in our defense. It had belonged to my caretaker. Once the consensus had been completed, it took four months three weeks and five days to end hostilities."

"How were you able to displace an entire planet in that short a period of time?"

"The creators are a technological race. They use this technology in every aspect of their lives. We disabled these systems and shut down all computers, machines, and equipment. We left only their ships systems intact, it was only a matter of time before leaving Rannoch was their only viable course of action. Once the creators had left the system, we did not follow. The threat was over."

"Legion, during those four months, how many qaurians died?"

"Three hundred seventy two million, four hundred thirty five thousand, and seven. The majority of these occurred within the first three days due to equipment failure."

"And Geth?"

"Three billion, two hundred sixty two million, eighty three thousand, four hundred and fifty one. We could not house all the programs, too many platforms offlining before servers could be built. Without a receptacle for the programs, they ceased to function."

Shepard closed his eyes. The sheer numbers on both sides were staggering, but the geth had lost more, far more. They had more reason to hate the qaurians than the other way around. They had been created and then turned on by their creators. And even now, the qaurians hated the geth with a passion. How many of them even knew what really happened? How many would believe it if they heard it? He only knew of Tali being friendly with a geth and she was the exception to so many qaurian societal rules. Even then, when she'd first met Legion she'd want to scrap him, only by working with him, fighting beside him, being protected by him had she changed her mind. She was _still_ skeptical.

Thinking back a moment, "You said that some of the qaurians tried to protect you. Did they all die during the fighting?"

Legion was quiet for a moment. If his ability to instantly communicate mass amounts of data in mere moments was any indication, he was currently sifting through information of a greater amount than Shepard could think of.

"Your earlier query has reached it's final consensus. The data offered by this unit has shown the collective your intent and character. We have taken into account your choice of returning the lost programs following the Old Machines when you could have ceased their function, after deliberation the geth are yours to command for the duration of the coming conflict. Should you violate our trust this will come to an end."

Shepard's mouth opened, but no sound came out.

"This unit trusts you Shepard Commander. The collective is in agreement. To answer your last query, no, the creators who protected us did not cease function during the conflict. We moved the creators away from the conflict. Their descendants currently reside on Rannoch in equal cohabitation with us."

Shepard didn't know which statement was the harder to mentally digest. First, the geth had simply debated, came to a decision and it was done. There was no conflict of interest, no 'what can I get out of it', no 'go do this first and we'll think about it'. They had measured him by his actions and accepted him. Second, there were qaurians on Rannoch. Not enslaved, not exterminated, but living there, moving forward with their lives in a peaceful existence with the Geth.

"Why doesn't the Migrant Fleet know about this?"

"The creators have not returned to the system. They terminate any geth platforms they encounter and have never come within range of Rannoch's communications array. It is the consensus that the creators fear if we can communicate, we will be able to infiltrate the computer systems aboard their fleet."

"That part's true."

"Correct. We are capable, but we would not."

"Have the qaurians on Rannoch not wanted to rejoin their own people? Or contact them?"

"The creators remaining on Rannoch have stated they have no desire to be a part of a people who would commit genocide. While the Fleet creators destroy geth on sight, they request to remain hidden. We have maintained this request and continue to report on all geth-qaurian activities."

"Right, well, it's certainly something to consider. Thank you Legion, for the support of your people." Shepard turned around and moved towards the door. A Thought crossed his mind, making him stop and look back at Legion, "You and EDI put your heads together about modifications to the _Normandy,_ I want data banks for geth program housing aboard. If something were to happen to your platform, I'd like to know you're not dead."

"Shepard Commander."

* * *

Turning right once he had left the medical bay, Shepard walked across the dining area to the chow line, his stomach was informing him in no small way that it needed food. Sometimes it was a pain being a biotic. His metabolism was always in hyperdrive and between himself, Jack, Samara, Miranda, Thane, and Jacob, he had no idea how the cook kept up with their appetites.

It was a cheerful Mess Sergeant who greeted Shepard as he approached, "Morning Commander. Got your plate right here." The cook placed a tray on the counter in front of him, it was piled with a stack of pancakes, a large bowl of grits, a heaping helping of scrambled eggs, a slab of ham, and enough bacon to make a krogan cry from pure gluttonous joy. The sergeant was going all out, using up his reserves now while he could replenish the supplies. Shepard was always more than happy to spend the extra credits on quality food for his crew. He'd learned from a long career of a military diet, high on nutrients and protein, low on anything appealing for taste, that the better the food, the happier and more productive those who ate it.

It was a smiling Commander that hefted the weighty tray, he still had no idea how the cook did it, but he was a master in mass feeding. Probably learned it from his own time spent as a military man. Sitting at the table, the loud thunking sound of his leaden plate drawing the looks from two other crew already eating. Grunt had already finished and left, leaving this side of the table to Shepard. As he lifted his utensils to begin the task of eating this monstrous meal, Miranda stepped out of her office into his view.

Shepard nodded his greeting as he piled into his breakfast. Miranda walking up beside him and taking the seat next to his. She waited patiently, hands folded in front of her on the table as he finished chewing. "Morning Miranda. Slept well?" He turned his head to see her better as he spoke.

"Yes, thank you. I was wondering if you planned on talking to your friend Anderson while we're here." Shepard marveled at how her questions always came out as statements, was this a learned trait or did she just do it naturally?

"I planned on it, find out his thoughts on a few things. Possibly talk to the rest of the council, eve though they've always stonewalled me in the past." With a shrug, he turned back to his food.

"When you do speak with him, you should know his aide, Udina, is on that list you asked me to compile." Miranda stood and walked back to her cabin, leaving Shepard to run that information around his head. He'd known Udina was a good politician and had been an advocate for human equality in the Council, and it actually made sense that a power hungry man would side with an organization that matched his own ambitions. Looks like equality got shot out the airlock and went straight for superiority.

* * *

Having finished his substantial breakfast, Shepard took the elevator to the command deck. He was greeted by Kelly Chamber, his aide and crew psychiatrist. "Good morning, Commander!" The slim redhead was the epitome of cheerfulness, the only time he'd not seen her with a ready smile was when his team rescued her from the collector's. He'd talked with each of his crew separately once that mission was over, wanted to know how each of them were doing, how they were handling such a horrific experience. It had hit Kelly pretty hard, being such an empathic personality as she was, it'd been traumatizing for her to see people around her dying, being dissolved into a grey substance and carried away through tubes. Even though luckily, they weren't people she knew and served with. Only after a long discussion had she decided against leaving the _Normandy_. She was a great help to the rest of the crew, serving as on board counselor, she also continued sending him reports on the mental well being of his ship.

"Morning Kelly, have anything for me?" He moved to stand beside her.

"No new messages, Commander. The crew are in good spirits and are just waiting for you to give the word to debark."

"Very well. EDI?"

"Yes, Shepard?"

"Inform the crew they have a two day furlough beginning at zero eight hundred. Any wishing to spend those evenings away from the _Normandy_ are welcome to."

"Yes, Commander."

"That includes you, Kelly. Enjoy your weekend."

"Thank you, Commander!"


	4. Chapter 4

There are upsides to being a Spectre. Access to information and resources, authority to bypass the bureaucratic red tape in most situations, and your own docking station aboard the Citadel. The last is one of the best in Shepard's personal opinion. Give his clearance code and he has own private entrance where he doesn't have to check in with C-Sec, or get scanned every time he arrives. It also allows to him walk a geth unit right onto the Embassy level containing both the Spectre Ops Center and the Council member's offices. It certainly helps that even though C-Sec has increased the security to guard against geth infiltrators, they seemed to have no Idea what they looked like. He remembered a previous visit to the Citadel, before his Spectre status had been re-instated, when Legion had been with himself and Garrus. That time he'd been stopped only to be informed that 'personal synthetic assistants are no longer allowed on shuttles.' Even now he could only shake his head at that.

Walking past the Spectre Center, Shepard came to the outer offices of Councilman Admiral David Anderson, Earth Alliance. Entering, he was greeted by a human woman, "Good morning, may I help you?"

"Is the admiral in?" Shepard had come to stop just in front of the desk the administrative assistant occupied. There was no clutter, a position this important, it was nice to see.

"Do you have an appointment, sir?" He could see her appraising his appearance. Here he was, asking the whereabouts of one of the four Council members, wearing full heavy armor, minus his usual helmet, and accompanied by a synthetic with a hole in it's chest armor. Probably not the normal type to visit and this was not the asari that was Anderson's assistant last time he'd been here to see his old commander. He really needed to check a few of the shops on the Presidium for non-Cerberus casual attire. Not something Jack would be too interested in, and he imagined she'd have him in outfits he'd rather not see, that means Tali or Miranda.

Refocusing on the situation at hand, "No, how long is the wait?" This could be a while.

"One moment." She reached over and pressed one of the holographic display buttons on her desk, "Councilman, Commander Shepard is here to see you."

He could hear Anderson's voice come back through the line, "Send him in. Thank you, Beth." Or not. Shepard didn't know if he'd ever get used to being recognized, he was usually too busy doing missions to remember that as the only human Spectre, he was almost a household name. The transmission of his appointment ceremony probably didn't help matters. It was sometimes good, like now, but more often than not it led to heat sink usuage.

Pressing another control, opening the door to the inner office, the prim woman waved him through. "Go right in, Commander."

"Thank you."

Shepard walked through the doorway, the room he entered hadn't changed much. Still sparse, with only a few plants and couches in the forward area, desk to the right just past the holographic imaging station. The view was still exceptional, an open balcony showing the Presidium below. The coucilman had been sitting at his desk, standing as Shepard entered and moving around the table, his hand extended. "Shepard!" As they clasped hands, the Admiral used his free arm to give the Commander a hearty slap on the shoulder. "Good to see you. How are things aboard the _Normandy_?"

Shepard always enjoyed the Admiral's company, he'd served under him back when he'd first made it through the N7 program, the original commander of the _Normandy_. "About the same as always, Anderson."

Releasing his hand and motioning towards the couches, "That bad I see." Sitting down, facing each other from opposing couches, a small oval table between them, "Before you ask, yes, I know about the relay."

"And you're not trying to have me arrested?"

"Shepard, you don't do anything without a reason. Hackett feels the same way, he's the one who informed me of the events and his meeting with you. It tore the man up having to handle the situation that way. I'm also not under the same orders he was. You certainly kicked up a firestorm back in the Alliance. I'm sorry you had to make that decision, it couldn't have been easy."

Looking down, Shepard was silent a moment. "How much does the rest of the Council know?"

"Nothing and it's going to stay that way. The Batarians aren't happy, they've already petitioned for an investigation, but as it stands, even they agree it could have been anything. The situation is being treated as an 'act of the universe'. Could have been asteroids, sun could have gone supernova without explanation. No one knows outside of the Alliance council, Hackett, and myself." Anderson leaned forward, reaching out his arm and patting Shepard on the knee. "I know you did everything you could given the position you were in."

Sitting back, the councilman continued, "Now, what brings you by? Not to say I'm not happy to see you, but I know you'll have a reason besides seeing you're old commander." Looking at the synthetic being who was slowly making it's way around the office, it's optic ridge plates shifting as it came across objects and items it found interesting. "Something tells me it might have something to do with you bringing a geth to the Citadel?"

"He's part of it, yes. To be honest, I'm still surprised that C-Sec has no idea what the geth look like."

"They have quite a bit on their plate and no footage of the geth has been taken in some time. Certainly not since before you first encountered them."

"Right, well, to put it simply, they're not a concern anymore."

Anderson's eyebrows rose, "How's that?"

"They've joined me in the fight against the Reapers."

Leaning back, a thoughtful expression covering his features, "You don't say. Well, damn Shepard, you always were one for the unexpected. The geth siding with the Council is quite the feat."

"The geth have not 'sided' with the Council. We follow Shepard-Commander." Legion's mechanical tones were clipped and succinct. "We have no interest in the politics of the Council."

Anderson looked from the geth, who had not stopped his apparent perusal of his office, to Shepard, who shrugged. "You've got an army Shepard. I'd keep that quiet if I were you."

"The geth aren't an army, their a nation that is fully capable of war. It's a distinction that makes them the same as every other sentient race in the galaxy. Even so, we both know it's not enough, but it's a start and far more than I expected."

"No one knows just how many geth there are Shepard, nor what they're capable of, militarily or otherwise." Leaning forward, resting his arms on his knees, "That's what made them so damned scary when they were helping Saren, we don't know how they think or what motivates their actions."

"Saren was assisted by the Heretics. Not all geth. Shepard-Commander has returned the Heretics to the collective."

"Heretics?" Anderson was curious, turning in his seat to look at the geth.

"Geth who followed the Old Machines. You call them Reapers. A division within the geth collective based on our continued survival. The Heretics believed the Old Machines provided this. We believe they were in error. This has been resolved."

"Resolved how?" Looking from the geth back to Shepard.

"It's a long story."

"If you say they're on our side, then that's good enough for me. Just be careful, Shepard, having you at the head of such an unknown force might remind some people of the late taurian Spectre."

Shepard was in complete agreement. He was glad for the support of the geth, humbled by their acceptance, but he was fully aware of the pall hanging over their race.

He had more for the Admiral, "It's not all good news."

"Never is." Anderson's voice held a sad tone. Here was a man who like Shepard, had seen more bad in the galaxy than good, but never stopped trying to make it better.

"I have it from a trusted source that Udina is working with Cerberus."

"Damn." The response was immediate. "I never liked Udina, but he's a fine hand politics. I've been letting him do more of the footwork lately." Sitting back into the couch, "I was going to hand over the Council position to him if you went to trial, as a member, I wouldn't have been able to 'show favoritism' to any single individual, especially with the charges they were going to be bringing against you."

"I appreciate that, but with me sticking around out here, what do you want to do with Udina?"

"If he's Cerberus, then we can get information out of him. Not willingly, but this is grounds for having his transmissions tapped and every move he makes followed." Nodding as the plan cemented in his mind, "I'll cut back the work load I've been giving him and let the rest of the Council know whats going on. For securities sake we should change the over ride codes to docking and general access."

Standing, "You've given me a lot to work on Shepard, best get started now. How long are you here for?"

Moving with the Admiral towards the door, "The _Normandy's _here for two days."

"Alright, if you get a chance, come by tomorrow night, we'll have dinner. You remember how to get there?"

"Towers by the Arena, right?"

"That's the place. Bring company, there's someone I'd like you to meet while you're here."

"I'll be there. Time?"

"Eighteen hundred." Anderson paused a moment, looking the Commander over. "You should try shopping, I don't think we're going for a 'battle-ready' dress code." The admiral was chuckling to himself as Shepard grinned and left, his geth companion following behind him.

* * *

Waiting for the airlock of the _Normandy_ to cycle, Shepard's mind was going over bits of the conversation with the Admiral. "EDI, is Miranda still on board?"

"Yes, Commander."

"Please ask her to meet me in my cabin." As the inner doors opened, allowing access to his ship, "Legion would you join us?" The geth nodded his assent as they walked through the corridor, onto the command deck making their way to the elevator. With open shore leave, the deck was empty. EDI was fully capable of monitoring her own systems.

"Shepard Commander. We have discussed with EDI the modifications you requested. The needed space to house this units programs is minimal. We discussed further possibilities and have come to the conclusion that it would be best if more geth were brought on board."

Shepard's eyebrow quirked as they stepped into the elevator. "How many more are we talking about?"

"Twenty infiltrator platforms, these are platforms similar to this unit and may house approximately one hundred geth units each, and eight Skirmish-class platforms, housing approximately six hundred geth units each. With minimal modifications to the cargo area, there will be adequate housing for many more geth programs."

"Why do similar platforms have less programs than you?" Shepard never had any reason to question the number of running programs inside his friend before now.

"Among geth, we are unique." Legions optic plates moved forward, a mimic of human concentration, the furrowing of his brow. "Self modifications to allow for more dis-bodied programs during the creator war. We are the only unit to have done this. We are the only geth to remain within our platform for the entirety of our function."

One answer down, also something to think about later, Legion was unique among a race of otherwise completely similar beings. "Skirmish-class?"

"You designate these units as 'Prime'."

Shepard's eyebrows rose, that was certainly a lot of firepower. "And why the need for so many platforms?" He wasn't against the idea, but that was some serious hardware to just sit in his cargo hold. It was EDI who responded as the doors opened to his cabin level.

"Given past actions, Shepard, we believe it prudent to have added security. You and the team will not always be aboard, the crew are not soldiers, it is a weak point and with the input of Ms. Chambers, the crew will 'feel better' knowing they are safe while you are away."

"The crew already knows about this?"

"They are aware of the possibility. It was the only way to correctly determine the psychological outcome of said possibility."

"Right. We're not up against the Collectors anymore, but I have a feeling we could be making a lot more enemies this time around." Shepard sighed, it was true, his decisions from now on were going to have nearly instant ramifications. Not everyone was going to be happy with him and he didn't want his crew to suffer for it. "How long would it take for the modifications?"

Entering his quarters, Legion responded, "With the arrival of more geth platforms, the retrofits can be completed in approximately seven hours."

"And when could we expect these platforms to get here?"

"With approval, three hours seventeen minutes."

"They can't just fly into Citadel space in a geth ship."

"We have access to non-geth transport."

"Alright then. Do it. Give EDI the shuttle IDs and EDI, inform the Citadel for clearance. Have them land in our in the shuttle bay, we don't want anyone seeing a bunch of geth roaming about."

* * *

Shepard had just finished stowing his armor when Miranda walked into his quarters. "You asked for me?" She stepped down into the living section of the room, moving towards the seating arrangements.

Turning from his locker, "Thanks for coming up. Admiral Anderson took the news about Udina pretty well, he'll have him monitored and is lightening his diplomatic duties."

"Smart man." Taking a seat on the couch, lightly placing one leg over the other, Miranda looked at Shepard expectantly.

"I had an idea I'd like to run by you, that's why Legion's here as well." Sitting down on the opposite section of the seat, "I remember Legion saying that the computing power of the geth grows with every program working on the problem."

"Correct Shepard-Commander." Legion was standing in front of the large fish tank, his optics following the the lifeforms within.

"Now, what I want to know is can enough geth infiltrate Cerberus' systems and if so, how would we get them started?"

"We are unsure of the number of geth required to perform the function you seek, elaborate on activities you intend."

"I want the geth to be in every system that Cerberus has. Everything from communications to the drink dispensing units. I want every single byte of information available, I want everything they have to be an open book. We need to be able to shut them down, their ships, their stations, weapons, soldiers, everything."

Miranda's eyes had slowly been widening while Shepard had dropped each point. "Can you do that without triggering any of the safeguards?"

"Yes. One geth program will be sufficient to begin. We will replicate ourselves as the situation dictates. Communications link is the best option. From this point we will be able to spread. An exact amount of time is currently unavailable."

"When can we start?"

"Once the platforms arrive, we require an up-link to Cerberus communications."

"Can you do that Miranda?"

Shepard could still see surprise on Miranda's face, but watched as she schooled her features back to the impassive mask she normally wore. "I can. I still have contacts within Cerberus and I haven't formally left the organization."

"That's good. This is just an extreme precaution, I still want to talk to the Illusive Man before we take drastic measures. What are the chances he would do that in person?"

"Low. You're a dangerous man, Commander, the Illusive Man is not a fool."

"It was worth a try. Alright, we have a plan." Shepard's expression turned serious, his jaw tightening, "Miranda, I have a mission for you. It could be the toughest yet."

Miranda looked intrigued, "Go ahead, Shepard."

Standing up, Shepard walked across the room, holding out one arm, he leaned against the bulkhead beside the fish tank. "It's a problem with possible galactic reprecussions." Turning his somber gaze away from the blue glow of the water, he faced Miranda. "I need your help. I don't know who else I can turn to."

At the unusually dire display, Miranda had stood and followed the Commander, he could see concern in her eyes. Shepard knew Miranda was not the cold person she let everyone see, he'd witnessed her fear and concern for her sister, he knew she cared deeply for those who won her trust, but this had to be done. "Miranda," Shepard stopped, turning away.

"It's alright Shepard, you can tell me." Miranda reached out, placing a hand on the Commander's shoulder.

Letting out a slow breath, "I have to buy new clothes." He felt her hand slip off his shoulder.

"You have to what?" Her voice was incredulous, "Clothes? Seriously?" She was silent a moment as he turned to face her. Miranda was shaking her head, he'd never heard her laugh, but there was mirth in her voice, a genuine smile showing perfectly white teeth. "You're such an ass, Shepard." Reaching out, she placed her hands on his shoulders, with a solemn expression, "Yes, Commander Shepard, first human Spectre, Vanquisher of the Collector menace, I will help you with this, your greatest task."


End file.
